Langley Speedway listed as top 10 small-town track in USA Today

Marty O'Brien, mobrien@dailypress.com | 757-247-4963

HAMPTON — Langley Speedway was highlighted in USA Today's Travel section this week as one of the "10 Great Places for Small-Town NASCAR Racing." The article featured a list compiled by Dick Berggren, a NASCAR pit reporter for Fox and executive editor of Speedway Illustrated magazine.

"You walk in there and you're literally walking into motorsports history," Berggren said of Langley, now in its 62nd year of racing.

Langley Speedway brass naturally were pleased with the national exposure and the complimentary review.

"We welcome Dick Berggren's observation of Langley as one of the top 10 tracks," Langley promoter Chuck Hall said. "We do work hard here, and for someone of his place in NASCAR to recognize what we've done is very rewarding."

You can link to the USA Today story at: http://travel.usatoday.com/destinations/10great/story/2012-05-31/10-great-places-for-small-town-NASCAR-racing/55315134/1?csp=Travel.

Shawn Balluzzo brings a three-race win streak and a 78-73 lead over Mike Rudy in the Modified points standings into Saturday's race. Renno Marchetti IV has won both Super Street Races and is five points ahead of John Pereira.

Former Legends champ Nick Smith won the first two division races, with defending champ Brad Hancock second in both. Richard Quinn is unbeaten in two Enduro starts.

The Grand Stock Division has been very competitive. Rodney Boyd has two wins, while Mark Claar and Ricky Derrick have won each. Tommy Sweeny leads the Grand Stock standings without a victory.

Racing begins at 7 p.m. Saturday.

Corbett qualifies for nationals

Veteran area drag racer Tommy Corbett of Hampton has qualified his Super Rod Dodge Daytona for the world championships at the Sportsman Spectacular on Oct. 12-14 at Memphis International Raceway.

Corbett qualified by winning the IHRA Tournament of Champions Division I race on May 6 at Richmond Dragway. Corbett says he turned nearly exact 6.40 second times on the 1/8-mile strip in all five rounds.

The world championship race will include the other nine winners of the 10 Tournament of Champions races being held nationally. Corbett, who's raced for 34 years, will attempt to add to some other big titles he owns, perhaps the biggest being the NHRA Super Gas national title he won in 2000 at Virginia Motor Sports Park in Dinwiddie.

"Qualifying for the world championships is a big deal," he said of competing in the worlds in Memphis. "I own two (auto-body repair) shops, so I only get to race three to six times a year these days.

"It's great that the IHRA gives you a way to qualify when you're not racing a lot."